Other Locations
Below are some other locations we found had homeschooling laws.
Click on the location of your choice
AMERICAN SAMOA • GUAM • NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS • PUERTO RICO • VIRGIN ISLANDS
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: "between 6 and 18 years of age inclusive, or from grade one through grade twelve." American Samoa Code Annotated § 16.0302.
• Required Days of Instruction: "the same number of days as public schools." Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0702.
• Required Subjects: "Private school officials shall include in their curriculum such material as the director of education may require in the interest of good citizenship." Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0704.
• Home School Statute: None.
• Alternative Statutes Allowing for Home Schools: Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0701.
1. "All schools carrying on regular educational work equivalent to the public school curriculum and receiving no government financial support" are private schools.
2. "No private school may operate without a certificate of authorization from the Department of Education," issued after an annual inspection.
3. "Children attending authorized private schools may not be required to attend public schools." Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0703.
4. Each school seeking authorization from the director for the first time must submit
a. a statement of the aims and purposes of the school;
b. the names and addresses of sponsors and supporters of the school;
c. the ages, grades, and sex of the children to be enrolled;
d. the amount of tuition to be charged; and
e. the curriculum to be pursued. Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0701(c).
5. Each private school must maintain permanent report cards on each pupil and submit monthly enrollment reports and an annual report with:
a. a calendar for the school year;
b. a list of teachers, showing names, age, experience, & professional qualifications;
c. a certificate of health for each teacher;
d. a list of curriculum and books to be used; and
e. a schedule of classes. Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0706.
6. "The department of education may not interfere with any religious instruction given in private schools." Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.0705.
• Teacher Qualifications: Am. Samoa Code Ann. § 16.1001. "All members of the teaching personnel must hold a certificate of qualification granted by the Department of Education."
• Standardized Tests: Not required by statute.
(back)
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: "between the ages of 5 and 16 years." 17 Guam Code Annotated § 6102.
• Required Days of Instruction: 170 days. 17 GCA § 6108.
• Required Subjects: "the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools of this Territory and in the English language." 17 GCA § 6108.
• Home School Statute: None.
• Alternative Statutes Allowing for Home Schools: 17 GCA § 6108.
1. Private instruction "by a private tutor or other person" allows for home schooling.
2. According to Board Policy 352 as amended April 5, 1994, "[I]t is the policy of the Department of Education that students who do not attend public schools in accordance with this law shall not be considered as public school students in any manner. Consequently, the Department shall have no regulatory authority over these students, nor shall these students be entitled to receive any of the services or academic recognitions and designations provided by the Department to public school students-inclusive of but not limited to the granting of credits to be used for obtaining a high school diploma-except for those services and academic recognitions and designations as may be required by federal or local laws and regulations."
• Teacher Qualifications: None.
• Standardized Tests: None.
(back)
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: "between the ages of six and sixteen." Commonwealth of the Marianas Code § 3-1141.
• Required Days of Instruction: 180 days. Policy 415.7.
• Required Subjects: Same as public schools.
• Home School Statute: N. Mar. I. Code § 3-1141, "the superintendent may grant individual waivers" to compulsory attendance in "cases of home study or other special circumstances, subject to the approval and review of the Board." The Board of Education has adopted Policy 415, "Home Study," which requires:
1. Parents or legal guardians must provide the Commissioner "compelling evidence that justifies a Home Study Program."
2. An application must be submitted to the Commissioner at least 60 days prior to beginning of school year. "No one will be excused from nonattendance as a public or chartered private school until a waiver has been granted by the Commissioner."
3. According to Section 415.2, the application must include:
a. name, address, and telephone of parent and student,
b. justification for home study,
c. "auspices under which the home study will operate and curriculum will be taught,"
d. description and qualification of parent-instructor,
e. dates and hours of instruction (according to § 415.7, the home school must have "300 minutes of secular instruction daily"), and
f. "any other pertinent and necessary information as requested by the Commissioner."
4. The Commissioner will take action on application within 3 months.
5. "The parents shall submit to the Commissioner monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on the progress of the program." § 415.6.
6. "The PSS shall monitor the Home Study Program to ensure compliance with its application and this policy."
(back)
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: "between six and eighteen years of age" 3 Laws of Puerto Rico Annotated § 391(a).
• Required Days of Instruction: same as public schools.
• Required Subjects: same as public schools.
• Home School Statute: None.
• Alternative Statutes Allowing Home Schools:
1. "Instruction in the elementary and secondary school shall be free and shall be compulsory in the elementary schools to the extent permitted by the facilities of the state. Compulsory attendance at elementary public schools ... shall not be construed as applicable to those who receive elementary education in schools established under non-governmental auspices." Puerto Rico Constitution Art. II, § 5.
2. "Attendance at public schools shall not be compulsory for those who are receiving education in schools established under the auspices of non-governmental entities." 18 L.P.R.A. § 2.
3. Most home schools operate as "non-governmental schools." Non-governmental schools are not clearly defined or regulated by law. Only a "primary or secondary academic" school which "...declares, promises, announces, or expresses the intention of granting certificates, diplomas, degrees, or licenses" is required to be licensed (18 L.P.R.A. § 2101-2103). It seems that only these private "diploma" schools are under Puerto Rico's private school regulations.
Non-governmental schools, which are recognized in the Puerto Rican Constitution, have no such regulations. Therefore, many home schools or groups of home schools have established "non-government schools" which do not grant diplomas. Instead, such schools issue transcripts demonstrating completed work.
• Teacher Qualifications: None required for non-governmental schools.
• Standardized Tests: Not required for non-governmental schools.
(back)
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: "beginning of the school year nearest [child's] fifth birthday … until the expiration of the school year nearest [child's] sixteenth birthday," except those who graduate from high school earlier. Virgin Islands Code Annotated title 17, § 82.
• Required Days of Instruction: No statutory requirement.
• Required Subjects: As approved by Commissioner of Education. V.I.R. & Regs. tit. 17,
§ 84-1.
• Home School Statute: None, but regulations. V.I.R. & Regs. tit. 17, § 84-1.
1. Parents must seek Commissioner of Education's approval of:
a. the qualifications of the tutor, and
b. the proposed courses of study.
2. The Commissioner of Education may require that the pupils be examined by a representative of the Department of Education.
Alternative Statutes Allowing for Home Schools: V.I.R. & Regs. tit. 17, § 192.
3. Parents could possibly apply for accreditation as a private school.
4. The Commissioner of Education must inspect each private school at least once per year.
• Teacher Qualifications: None.
• Standardized Tests: Not required by statute, optional under regulations (see above).
Related Pages:
Homeschool Support Groups in Other Locations
Colleges in Other Locations